The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1887-10-21
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Paper aRd Leaves for Mex
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AG1 BAam aam AGcUnAH HPMSSs
Special to the N, o, Piovyune.
SAN AEToNIo, Tx, Oct. ls,--Sam-
uel Hopkins, long clerk of the United
States District Court at Austin, and
one Of the best known and most pop
ular officials in Western Texas, man
who possessed TO the greatest degree
the confidence of all with whom he was
connected and seemingly with an hon-
ored life before him, is Ia forger aud
fugitive from justice. The facts
became known to-day by the Issue Of
circular, signed by Marshall Rankin,
Of the western district, calling for Hop
kiu's arrest.
The criminal was removed from
the Office the other day on account Of
some Irregularities in money matters,
but no outsiders suspected it was seri,
GUS. On Sunday he came TO San An
tonic in company with II, w, Thomp-
son, young man from Baltimore,
who has been in Texas for some
months employed as clerk in the mar
shafs Office here and in Austin, Thomp-
son is a remarkably fine penman,
Together they weut on lurid spree
Sunday night, and on Monday present.
ed to three different banks checks
amounting to $1,000, purportmg TO be
signed by Marshal w, I, Rankin and
drawn in favor of Samuel Hopkins.
The signatures were sxcellently done,
and are supposed to be Thompson'a
work. On Tuesday the crime was
discovered but has been kept quiet
until now.
Hopkins and Thompson were last
seen IN Eagle Pass, $50 miles from
here, and are doubtless at this time
far into the Interior of Mexico Off
ears are confident, however, Of their
capture, az the ohense is eXtFadition-
able aud both arc high livers ond apt
to attract attention,
It is stated that anterior TO the for
geries here the pair we're well supplied
with money obtained in this wise :
Thompson filled out a number Of
bogus witness warrants, which in bis
capacity As distriot clerk Hopkius ap
proved, and which, representing that
there were no funds to the credit Of
the court and would not be until %,
tober, he pledged TO an Austin pawn
broker.
So far az known these fraudulent
papers amount to $500, but there arc
probably others not yet presented
for payment. ....
Hopkins was married three years
ago and leaves q beautiful wife and
young child behind him, He il NOT
above 80 years Of age, and Thompson
Is even younger.
Both here and in Austin in official
circles the affair has caused much OK
citement and discussion. Hopkins
owes his ruin, first, TO o liking fol
whisky which as is common with the
hail-felloW-Wsll-met kind OF people, he
drank a good deal of second, to wo'
men of the fast type, with whom, even
after his marriage he pstTonised, and
last and chiefly to an absolute craze
for poker with high stakes, and, in
fact, any sort Of a game for chance.
From developments since the expo
sure he must have been leading I
double life for some time back as biz
| speeulations cover quite q period q
time. II was pretty generally eonsid
cred that he was going to the dogs
but no one suspected him Of racing tc
the penitentiaTy, From the few spec
linens Of his work before them thC
officers concluded that young Thomp
son is one of that brand Of foTgerl
who are born not made. If moi
brought back he will prove a danger
Gus man with our Mexican nelghbors